Jose Abad Santos (February 19, 1886-May 2, 1942) was the fifth Chief Justice of the Supreme Court (SC). He was executed by Japanese forces during World War II for his refusal to cooperate with the foreign invaders.
Abad Santos was born in this capital city to Vicente Abad Santos and Toribia Basco. He finished a pre-law course at the Santa Clara College in Santa Clara, California; his Bachelor of Laws at Northwestern University in Urbana, Illinois; and his Masters of Laws at George Washington University in 1909.
Admitted to the Philippine Bar in 1911, he served as assistant attorney at the Bureau of Justice from 1913 to 1917.
He was later appointed the first Filipino corporate lawyer of the Philippine National Bank (PNB), Manila Railroad Company (MRC) and other government corporations. He returned to the Department of Justice (DOJ) where he became attorney-general, undersecretary and secretary of the DOJ from 1921 to 1923.
In July 1923, he resigned as justice secretary together with other department secretaries as a result of the controversy between Governor-General Leonard Wood and Filipino leaders.
Abad Santos then served as chief lawyer of the President of the Philippine Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
In 1926, he went to the United States as head of the Philippine Educational Mission. He was again appointed to the justice portfolio in 1928 and re-appointed on July 1, 1931. In 1932, he became an associate justice of the SC. He became Chief Justice on December 24, 1941.
As part of the emergency reorganization of the Commonwealth government, Abad Santos, in his capacity as Chief Justice, was given the responsibilities previously handled by the justice secretary (the position of the justice secretary was abolished for the duration of the war).
Abad Santos accompanied the Commonwealth government to Corregidor, where on December 30, 1941, he administered the oath of office to President Manuel Quezon and Vice President Sergio Osmeña for the second term they had been elected to in November of that year.
He also undertook, with Manuel Roxas, the supervision of the destruction of Commonwealth government currency to prevent its falling into enemy hands.
When Quezon left for the US via Australia, Abad Santos was given the choice to leave with him.
But Abad Santos preferred to remain in the Philippines and carry on his work and stay with his family. Quezon appointed him acting president with full authority in the name of, and on behalf, of the President of the Philippines in areas unoccupied by the Japanese.
On April 11, 1942, Abad Santos and his son Jose Jr. were captured by the Japanese while traveling by automobile in Carcar, Cebu. He identified himself as the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines.
Abad Santos and his son were then taken to a concentration camp.
When asked to cooperate with the Japanese forces in the Philippines, he refused to do so. Although he had nothing to do with military operations, they imputed to him the destruction of the bridges and other public works in Cebu.
The Japanese High Command took him and his son to Parang, Cotabato (now in Shariff Kabunsuan) in April 1942. The next day they were brought to Malabang, Lanao, and after three days of confinement at the constabulary barracks, Abad Santos was called to Japanese headquarters.
Before he was shot to death, he was able to talk to his son.
His last parting words to his son were "Do not cry, Pepito. Show to these people that you are brave. It is an honor to die for one's country. Not everybody has that chance." (Source: Wikipedia)
